What would you do?
by Tabitha3
Summary: You can't go by those things. I consider you wealthy, more so than me. You are wealthy in spirit, and that is what counts.
1. Abrupt, yet sincere

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Hunter D. I do however own the character Katarina.

A word from the author: Based on a RP I made. Please review or there will be no point in continuing with the updates.

Katarina sighed listening to all the offers pouring in. They were nonstop, mostly they were followers for the ones who really wanted Katarina's assistance.

"My boss promises you gold!" a young human boy shouted through the commotion.

"I came on behalf of Count Shree, he guarantees you a chance to rule by his side!" said a weak looking vampire man.

"I will marry you!" said a female vampire.

"I'll MARRY you! I don't care you're a boy!" a male vampire shouted.

Katarina sighed throwing up his hands, "listen, listen, I am not the one you are looking for, I don't even know what you are talking about," he said, "Katarina has been retired for many years now, you must have me mistaken."

The area was silent, Katarina used this time to try to sneak back inside his shop. But the group did not let way and began to attack with promises once again leaving Katarina to sigh and listen nodding along carelessly.

What don't these people get, Katarina thought as he watched his shop which was only a foot away. He had been caught while he was doing some yard work and was now wishing he hadn't left his little shop.

They're so stupid! That was all that kept crossing the young man's mind as the offers got more and more grand. Of course none of these interested him so he was left to just listen. Between two vampires was an opening and Katarina gazed into it seeing a girl.

"Rose..." he said in a whisper.

The girl had her hands full with a basket of apples staring into the crowd.

Katarina glared and began pushing everyone away, "all right that's enough, outta my way!" he commanded breaking through the crowd and making his way over to the girl.

"Hi Rose," he said with a smile.

Rose gave a grin and then laughed a little covering her mouth. As she did this she began to drop her basket and she gasped but before it fell Katarina caught it and took it out of Rose's hands and placed it on his shoulder, "how about I carry this for you," he said with a smile.

When Rose and Katarina passed a group of two guys and a girl they began to whisper when Katarina was out of earshot, or so they thought.

"If you ask me, he's a little strange," the girl said looking over her shoulder to Katarina.

"Yes, I heard he's the reason all these vampires are around," one guy said.

"A strange boy from a strange family," the other guy laughed.

Katarina's eyes dimmed as he looked to the ground still holding the basket for Rose.

Rose placed a hand on Katarina's back giving a light rub, "I don't think you're strange at all," she said with a smile. Katarina looked over at Rose with a weak smile.

The vampire hunter known as D, sat on his horse and surveyed the landscape. The small village had a rather classy feel to it, though it was clear the people within it thought it to be more tropical. Colors and styles seemed more flamboyant than usual, even from the hill where he resided. Sighing to himself, he rode down the hill and continued down the dirt path.

Katarina placed the basket of apples at Rose's stand where she sold fruit of all kinds. He picked himself out an apple and leaned against the stand biting into it while Rose went around behind the stand and put on her apron.

"It must be nice to come from such a wealthy family," she said trying to make conversation, "oh wait, sorry, I didn't mean-"

"What makes you think I'm wealthy?" Katarina asked looking up immediately from the apple.

"Well you are always surrounded by all those counts and countesses," Rose said in almost a whispered tone, "and," she pointed to Katarina's hair clamp. Katarina felt for the clamp and laughed a little tossing out the rest of the apple, "you can't go by those things," he said, "I consider you wealthy, more so than me."

Rose looked confused as Katarina walked off, "you are wealthy in spirit, and that is what counts."

D rode into the town entering through the elegant gate. He saw a tavern near and went inside. Noticing two people arguing savagly in the back, D slipped into a seat close to them and began to listen as the two men discussed the strange vampiric interest in Katarina.

Katarina saw that his shop was clear so he took one last look around before running inside. With his back to the door, he shut it tight giving a sigh, "even if I wanted to..." he glanced around the shop, "I don't even know. Such a head ache."

After listening to the men talk for a few minutes, D left the tavern pausing by his mount, he heard a voice say to him, "things could get interesting and dangerous. I wonder why the nobility is so interested in some kid...this could be fun." D got onto his horse and rode around the town.

Katarina went into another room of the shop and poured himself something to drink before taking a seat at the counter. He pulled off his hair clamp and looked at it for a while wondering if that one accessory made him look that much different in the eyes of everyone else. Shaking his head he clamped it back on, making a pony tail and drinking some water he got earlier.

D soon heard the voice speak with him again, saying, "his tale should be an interesting one to hear, wonder where he lives."

Rose looked behind her stand at a shelf and gasped. She had baked a blue berry pie for Katarina but had forgotten to give it to him. She grabbed it and began to dash to his shop as quickly as she could holding the pie out in front of her. Rose tried not to drop it, though she did stumble a numerous amount of times.

D caught sight of the girl dashing with the pie. He watched as she left his sight, "there's something you don't see every day," he muttered following after Rose.

"There's something that I can't ever see," the voice muttered hotly.

Once Rose finally made it to Katarina's shop, she placed the pie down but when she went to knock she could hear a flute being played. She listened for a while and then shook her head going back to the job at hand. Rose gave three firm knocks and from the other side of the door came three knocks back.

Rose laughed, "stop it Katarina!" she said as the door opened.

Katarina was laughing when he stepped out of the shop, "now what can I do for you?" he asked.

Rose quickly picked up the pie, "I baked this for you, but I forgot to give it to you," she then hit herself in the head, "heh, silly me."

Katarina smiled taking the pie, "well thank you," he said. Looking over Rose's head he could see D in the distance. He gave a slight frown but went back to his sweet nature quickly.

"Well I guess I'll go back now, heh," Rose said nervously running off once more.

Katarina held the pie in his right hand and waved to Rose with his left, watching her leave. From behind him, he could feel it suddenly get colder and his hair began to stand on end.

"Gold..." a voice whispered. At this, Katarina nervously turned and was met by two red eyes. Katarina screamed when he saw the man vampires and even people holding baskets of objects. From fruits and chocolates to gold and flowers, they had it all. One guy had even came with two human girls on a leash.

"Oh come on! Just a moment please!" Katarina cried holding the pie close to him.

One of the vampires snatched the pie out of Katarina's hands and tossed it saying, "you don't want that stale pie."

D who was watching from a distance was surprised by the sudden arrival of people and vampires alike, "what's all this about?" he wondered in a neutral voice that carried over the hubbub.

One of the vampires looked back at D, "oh no, boss won't be to happy about this," he said running off.

"A hunter," someone else gasped and everyone began to split up.

Katarina watched confused, "thats all it took? Note to self, remember to put up signs that say a hunter is near," he muttered to himself with a sigh.

"I take it you're Katarina," D said as he rode towards him, "now please tell me what this is all about. Normally the Nobility would just bite someone they like..." he said in an icy voice.

"Katarina has been retired for eight years, he has moved to a desert village in an unknown part of the world," Katarina said walking to the door of his shop. He then looked over his shoulder to D, "so I have no idea what this is about."

"Don't lie to me," D said in a cold voice, "it's painfully obvious Katarina is here, otherwise the Nobility would be seeking him elsewhere. They can track you with their technology after all, so now I ask you again, what is this about?" D asked.

"The nobility are stupid," Katarina said turning around to face D, "their technology isn't so great."

"You forget they ruled this planet for 3,000 years, they resurrected humanity and its civilization, without them we would not have all of the technology," D said in a cold aloof tone, "the Nobility arn't dumb either, as a vampire hunter I know that. Do not form opinions without information. Many good hunters have died from those same thoughts," D said as he rode closer to Katarina.

Katarina laughed, "then they should know I am Katarina the 4th," he said, "meaning there are three with the same name before me. The one they want is nearly 80 years old, yet they seem to think I am him because I have taken over the family shop. Or maybe they think I know about whatever they are talking about"

"Ah so that's who you are," D said when he reached the steps of the shop, "the 4th eh? Well they must be after something the first katarina had then," D muttered.

"Well he's a quarter past dead," Katarina said, "this I know."

There was then a scream, a scream that Katarina knew very well he turned around and frowned running off.

"Rose!" he shouted heading for her stand. Once he got into view he could someone in the air. The figure held in his arms an unconsious Rose.

"Give her back," Katarina growled.

The figure said nothing and just threw down a letter with speeds so great that it dug into the ground it hit with smoke coming from it. When Katarina picked it up the figure flew off disapearing in the distance.

"Do you wish to enlist my services?" D asked as Katarina opened the letter.

Katarina read over the letter that simply said, "bring it to me, a castle in the Newports," he then sighed. He glanced over at D and scratched his head, "so what do you do and what are you gonna charge?"


	2. Tactless, yet rude

"I am a vampire hunter," D said, "all I need is information, if you have something the Nobility wants I am curious to find out what it is, other than that, food and board while you hire me is all I require for payment."

Katarina put the paper in his pocket, "all right fine, room and food, I get it, come on," he said heading back to his shop. As he walked he past the same group of two guys and a girl who he had earlier. Once again they spoke in whispers that Katarina could hear.

"I heard that Rose was just taken by a vampire," the girl said.

"I'm sure its Katarina's fault," one of the guys said.

Katarina growled, "it doesn't take a minute for you slack jawed losers to gossip does it? Nothing gets past you huh?"

The girl pulled out a fan and began fanning herself, "well that was uncalled for, so unlike your father, he was a gentleman."

"Maybe I would act like a gentleman if you didn't look like a whore hanging out with all these men," Katarina stated.

The girl suddenly stopped fanning herself, "well I never!"

"I don't believe you," Katarina said walking off and heading for his shop once more.

D followed quietly into the shop. It was obvious the boy wasn't very popular, at least not in the way that would flatter a person. He looked around the shop, "just curious, what do you sell here?" he asked while gestering around the room.

"Antiques, jewelry, pretty much anything valuable," Katarina said walking to a back room door. He tried to turn the knob on the door but it was stuck. He gave a sigh, "ooookay then," he said. He then turned to the side and bumped the door with his hip causing it to loosen and open.

"You can stay in here," he said gesturing to the bedroom which didn't look half as old as it was, decorated in all white with a bed and dresser.

"Antiques huh?" D said, "by any chance, did the first Katarina acquire anything strange for the shop? Something that would still be around and be of use after all these years?"

Katarina began tugging on the dresser drawer knob, trying to pull it open. He struggled but soon began to talk, "why does it matter? I don't care about what the vampires want, I just want Rose back," with that he yanked the knob off and fell to the floor.

Holding the knob he laughed, "that drawer won't be working," he then stood up, brushing himself off, "besides Rose's family will be worried, and I don't want that."

"So do you have any idea which count took her? If I remember right, there are at least 10 different ones within 20 miles of here," D said in a cool voice.

Katarina pulled out the letter, "it says a castle in the Newport's, that's a desert area with very impressive technology," he explained putting the letter back in his pocket, "so when you go do I get to come?" he asked innocently.

"No," D said, "I do not know if Rose has been bitten by Nobility, so if she was they might use her as a lever and that would be a liability. Also if you were captured and they got the information they wanted, who knows what they could do. Worst case scenario? They would find a way to walk in the day," D said while sitting down in a chair.

"You could have just said no," Katarina said in a rather annoyed tone. That long drawn out statement was a bit much just to disappoint the boy. He would have said something else but there was a knock on his door. He walked over to it and saw a tall man in a business suit.

"Yes?" Katarina questioned looking up at the tall man.

"I am Jerimi, I am here to pick up my order, which I believe was prepaid," the man stated handing Katarina a slip of paper.

Katarina read over the paper, "oh so you're the one who ordered this? Now that's a shocker," he said going behind the counter. From behind it he pulled a large box with holes poked in it. He stubbled to lift it with both hands then slammed it on the counter.

"Had you waited any longer it wouldn't be here for you, and I DO NOT give refunds," Katarina said pushing the box so Jerimi could get it. The box gave a little thrash and Jerimi took it in his arms giving a slight nod to Katarina and heading out the door.

"If I had just said no, you would've insisted on coming, now what was in the box?" D asked quickly changing the subject.

"An alligator, want one?" Katarina said whipping his hands on a napkin. It was at this time when he realized something, "what is your name? I should have been asked this, I know."

"Its D, the rest is unimportant," he said.

Katarina was just about to make a smart mouth remark to what D had just told him but was interrupted by someone knocking on his door again. He walked over to the door and saw an old man with a walking stick, "excuse me, but I have a package that I think was suppose to come to you young man," he said lifting up the package to Katarina.

On the brown box in big letters it did indeed say "To: Katarina the 4th".

"Um thank you," Katarina said taking the package and bowing a little. The old man gave a smile and made his way back to where ever he was suppose to be.

Katarina closed the door with his butt and read the package out loud and proudly, "To Katarina the 4th from Pop Pop."

"Pop pop?" D asked from his chair.

Katarina smiled, "yeah, pop pop," he said opening the package. Katarina's eyes lit up at what he saw in the box, "all right! He did it!" He pulled out a rather large wooden mallet and read the note tied on the end of the handle, "all fixed."

Katarina ripped the note off and tossed it in the nearest trash can. After placing the mallet behind the counter, Katarina went to the door and flipped the "Open" sign to the side that said "Closed."

"Okay, what do you want for dinner?" he asked sitting in a metal rocking chair with one foot in the seat and the other on the floor rocking him gently.

"Anything's fine," D said, "so tell me, do you have any idea what these vampires are after?"

"I don't know, maybe they want this lovely crystal vase," Katarina said picking up the vase sarcastically. He then tossed it over his shoulder listening to it shatter, "nope, I have no idea."

With that said he stood up and went into another room/kitchen, to see what he had to eat closing the door behind him.

D sighed, "well this is troubling. Since we don't know what they want, they don't know how they would treat their hostage," D said as the door slammed shut.

Katarina look through the shelves and decided that he didn't feel like cooking so he started working on a sandwich.

As he went to cut the bread he found that the knife was dull. He sharpened it and to test it out he threw it at the wood door. It stuck within it standing straight on its own.

"Maybe that isn't the best way to vent," he mumbled to himself pulling out the knife.

"You're right about that," D called through the door.

"Oh shut up, it's not like I hit you," Katarina called, still pulling the knife from the door.

"Hey I'm just saying it isn't healthy to vent like that," D said in an amused voice as he heard the knife being pulled out the door.

"Only to those on the other end of the blade," Katarina said walking in with the sandwich and placing it down on a table, "there ya go, you said anything so I made a sandwich!" he added proudly.

"Not really," D said while eating his sandwich, "had I been so inclined I could have caught the knife when you threw it."

"I'm sure cowboy," Katarina said flicking D's hat as he walked past him.

Katarina went to the front of the shop and saw a group of people in the distance. He headed for the crowd and hid behind a tree watching them.

"Rose is gone!" her mother exclaimed.

"That's right, taken by vampires," the girl from earlier told her.

"Just what do we do?" her mother cried.

"I say we toss Katarina out of the picture," another woman shouted.

"Yeah," a guy said.

"But he's just a child," Rose's mother said.

"He's the reason your child is gone lady!" a guy yelled and was suddenly on the ground with Katarina behind him and his right fist up.

"Shut up," Katarina said and turned to Rose's mother, "hey, I'll get her back," he gave a smile and stuck up his thumb, "kay?"

Rose's mother gave a slight gasp, she was about to say something but Katarina ran off.

"That idiot," D muttered roughly from where he was standing behind a tree. He had followed Katarina, he knew his type, hot headed and acting before they thought, such a dangerous thing. He hopped onto his horse and rode a distance after Katarina.

Katarina ran into his shop and got a bag of things, dropping the mallet in as well before leaving out the shop and out the gates of the small village. With a cherry sucker hanging in his mouth, he made his way to the open fields that would lead to god knows where.

He soon came to a fork in the road, putting his index finger to his lips he wondered which way to go. He ignored the fact that D was following him without his permission as he went down the left path.

Half way down it he came to the end with a sign reading "dead end" but a continuous path beyond it.

"Oh, just as I thought," Katarina muttered in an amused tone, he then threw his arms into a shrug, "oh well, at least I can go back."

The surrounding bushes began to rustle and Katarina turned to walk back to the fork and three mutants appeared from behind the bushes where they hid.

Katarina looked over his shoulder and smirked, "ah, just as I thought," he repeated softly.

"Moron," D cursed under his breath as he watched Katarina's predicament. He considered saving him but decided he would let Katarina get out of his own mess and only help if he proved to need it. D climbed into a nearby tree to get a better view of the impending fight.

Katarina kicked one mutant away without turning who was getting to close for his liking. When the mutant's actions proved to be to slow for comfort Katarina turned around with his hands on his head, "ah, so you are just a puppet, but who is controlling the strings?" he asked aloud.

"Good question," D muttered from his perch in the tree. Looking around he noticed a man on top of a nearby hill.

"Who's this?" D asked as he jumped from the tree and ran towards the man on the hill.

"Bout time he made himself useful," Katarina sighed. He pulled the mallet out of his bag and tossed it at the mutants, hitting each in the head and causing them to fall out. The mallet rounded and returned to Katarina and he caught it, placing it back in his bag.


End file.
